My iPod experience

[clandy44]

So, I have a home office in an unused bedroom. There, I have a nice audio setup-Meridian cd player, small Dynaudio speakers, Classe integrated amp, Rega turntable, etc. Also, my Dell computer is there with a couple of small Harmon Kardon speakers and a subwoofer. Got my 40 gig iPod a month or so ago, and began ripping my favorite jazz cds to my hard drive and then loading them into my iPod. After awhile, I came to realize that playing my music through my computer speakers was virtually as good as on my system. In some ways, actually better. In fact, I kind of like it even better than the audio setup. Anyone else experience this?

[Brad]

Well, I'm listening to disc one of Seven Steps to Heaven and I can't disagree with you. It's also a lot more convenient sometimes. Have you ripped those 18 discs of Bill Evans yet ?

[kh1958]

I'm with you--I love my ipod. I'm at about 34 gigs of jazz and other favorite music, over 5100 tracks.

I recently upgraded to a 60 gig model and then, one week later, Apple lowered the price 25%. To my amazement, Apple actually refunded the price difference.

[rostasi]

  clandy44 said:

After awhile, I came to realize that playing my music through my computer speakers was virtually as good as on my system.  In some ways, actually better.  In fact, I kind of like it even better than the audio setup.  Anyone else experience this?

I rarely use the speakers in the main room of the house.

Actually, I almost always have to use my computer speakers...

because these Altec Lansings, possibly soon to be Adam monitors,

are needed for audio work here in the studio. I'm practically glued to these -

whether iTunes based sounds for broadcasting or MOTU based for creating

they come across nice and clear as a bell. No iPod tho...

[clandy44]

Brad-I'm up to 28 gigs and my iPod says it's max is 37 gigs (where did those other 3 go?) so I have to be careful. Ripped only 3 of the 18 discs of the Verve set. But, I'm listening to disc 7 of the Riverside (German set) on my computer and lovin' it. I take it Universal blessed you with a delivery?

[Dave James]

clandy,

When I finished setting up my i-Pod (the 20 GB model) I had 18.5 gigs left. Seems like 1.5 gigs going towards the set up is a bit much, but I can't figure out where else they would have gone. The fact that your 40 gig Pod with twice the memory of of mine shows 37 left must mean something. Like it takes 1.5 gigs of space per 20 gigs of memory get these things up and running.

Up over and out.

[Uncle Skid]

Less than advertised space on hard drives usually comes from differences in the meaning of "megabyte" or "gigabyte".

Somewhere in the fine print of the user's manual there is probably a statement like "20.0GB (actual formatted capacity less)". This is due to the fact that marketing and sales literature define a MB as 1,000,000 bytes, and a GB as 1,000,000,000 bytes.

But the "real" definition of a MB and GB involves powers of 2, so 1 MB is actually 1,048,576 bytes (2^20 power) and 1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes (2^30 power).

So, your 20GB model is 20,000,000,000 bytes, which is technically (and according to your computer) 18.6GB. So, you aren't losing any space during setup.

[clandy44]

Thanks, Uncle Skid. The minor deception ("say, kids, your iPod is really a 37 not 40 gig model") wouldn't matter much unless, like me, you quickly and surprisingly discover that 40 gigs won't feed the bulldog. Here I am "rationing" my iPod and it's barely been around the block. There is only one sensible answer: trade up to the 60 gig model....LOL.

[Uncle Skid]

Yes! I know exactly what you're talking about. I bought a 20G Archos MP3 player a couple of years ago, and I recently replaced the 20G hard drive with a 40G. I'm still regretting not going for the 60G or 80G.

My wife thinks I'm nuts -- she says there's no way I could ever listen to that much music at one time, so why is it necessary to have all of it loaded on the player?

Of course, that's not the point! I never know what I'll be in the mood to listen to, so not having all of it is not an option! B-)

[kh1958]

I quite enjoy the Shuffle feature, especially in the car on a long drive.

[Dave James]

I'm getting to be a fan of the shuffle feature too. Not only does it vary the music you're listening to, but you can run blindfold tests on yourself at the same time.

Up over and out.

[clandy44]

Skid-Exactly! I've loaded the iPod with a lot of jazz, but also with a lot of blues and classical that had been in the basement. With the iPod, I can listen to a much wider set of music, from the Mozart's Requiem to Howlin Wolf to Lee Morgan depending on my mood.

[Soul Stream]

I listen to my music via itunes on my computer almost all the time. Unless it's a CD I don't have loaded onto my ipod.

Doesn't sound GREAT, but it sounds good and I'm not an audiophile anyway, just a musician listening to the cats play.

[Jazz Kat]

My music has no connection with my computer. I wish it did, but I have no clue. Nor can I download music on my computer.

[kh1958]

  Jazz Kat said:

My music has no connection with my computer. I wish it did, but I have no clue. Nor can I download music on my computer.

It is really simple to download music from a CD to your computer, at least if you are an Apple itunes user. You just put the CD in the computer, itunes will open and show you the songs on the CD; keep the ones you want to download checked, and uncheck the others--then hit import.

Plug your ipod into the computer and it will automatically add the new tunes you've imported onto your computer's harddrive.

If you have a Windows computer, you might still want to try itunes for Windows.

[kh1958]

Sometimes I wonder about whether that thing has a brain.

The other day, on Ornette Coleman's birthday, I hit shuffle and the first song was an Ornette piece.

Today, the anniversary of Bird's death, the third song was Now's the Time.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

[mjzee]

My brother just bought me the iTrip. What a wonderful device! Made by Griffin Technologies, it's a little FM transmitter that plugs into the iPod, transmits at 87.9 FM. You just tune your radio to that frequency, and listen to your iPod! Works great in the car -- much better than a cassette adapter, which makes too much mechanical noise. And Jazz Kat, this is the solution to your "My music has no connection with my computer," because it works inside the house too (just not between floors). Highly recommended.

[rostasi]

Not affliated with the iPod, but if you have a good home system

that is not connected to your computer, and you want to play your

tunes (special playlists for parties or Sunday relaxing, for instance)

from your computer to your home system:

Roku Soundbridge

[Randy Twizzle]

  kh1958 said:

Sometimes I wonder about whether that thing has a brain.

The other day, on Ornette Coleman's birthday, I hit shuffle and the first song was an Ornette piece.

Today, the anniversary of Bird's death, the third song was Now's the Time.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

I have an Nomad Jukebox which quite frankly is not as smart as an iPod. On Lester Young's birthday I hit shuffle and it played a Paul Quinichette selection.

[bertrand]

Like David James, I like to use the iPod for blindfold tests. I surprised myself the other day by guessing that I was listening to a tune from Mode for Joe just from Joe Chambers' drumming.

Bertrand.

Edited March 16, 2005 by bertrand

[kh1958]

  Randy Twizzle said:

  kh1958 said:

Sometimes I wonder about whether that thing has a brain.

The other day, on Ornette Coleman's birthday, I hit shuffle and the first song was an Ornette piece.

Today, the anniversary of Bird's death, the third song was Now's the Time.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

I have an Nomad Jukebox which quite frankly is not as smart as an iPod. On Lester Young's birthday I hit shuffle and it played a Paul Quinichette selection.

That may be even smarter, especially if it then moved on to Zoot Simms, Al Cohn and Stan Getz.

[John L]

You made my day, Mr. Twizzle.